While You Were Gone
by backwardsdrachen
Summary: Asami always knew the Avatar was a complex person, but she never guessed Korra would make her life so complicated. With all of her friends gone their separate ways, Asami tries to get back into a normal routine before the rise of the Equalists. Set during the years of Korra's healing, after the battle with Zaheer. Korrasami, but Asami-centric. Rated T to be safe. (Repost)
1. Chapter 1

**This is a repost from my old account, so if you see the same story posted on another account, that is mine. I will be removing the story from my old account and posting my work here from now on. This note will be removed once the original post is removed.**

 _One Week Later_

 _Dear Korra,_

 _I know it's only been a week since you left, but I felt inclined to write to you and see if you're feeling any better._

Asami grabbed the paper and crumpled it up.

"Stupid." The Sato heiress tossed the wadded ball into the trash. How long was she supposed to wait until she wrote to Korra? Maybe she should wait a while and see if Korra writes to her first.

 _I wish you'd have let me come with you,_ she thought miserably. The Avatar's departure had almost immediately caused an uncomfortable itch in the back of Asami's mind. She had always been curious about the other girl, even when she was dating Mako. Like a seed planted in rich soil, Korra grew on Asami, slowly but surely. Against all odds, her fondness blossomed when the Water Tribe girl stole her boyfriend away, though jealousy was still a fierce contender. It was only a matter of realizing who the engineer was jealous of.

She had been treading on thin ice for a while, trying her best to get back with Mako. She was certain that he was the one her stomach did somersaults for. Asami always found herself blaming the boy for every complication; never did she feel Korra was to blame for her misguided emotions. They became static friends, inseparable no matter who was dating who. Their similar habit of finding Mako always at fault only worked to strengthen their bond, and it wasn't until both girls finally cut ties with the firebender that Asami felt free to explore their growing relationship.

The heiress very suddenly began to notice new things about Korra. These minute, seemingly insignificant discoveries meant the world to the raven-haired girl. Asami spent as much time as she could with the Avatar, hoping to uncover more beneath the rugged exterior. They sparred together, ate together, had tea together. Korra opened up easily to the other girl; the engineer was rather reserved herself, but she made an exception for the Avatar, who was becoming more and more prominent in Asami's mind. Even her emotions began to rely heavily on Korra's wellbeing. Anger roared like fire inside of her whenever she was hurt; anxiety constricted her like smoke when she was away. Asami was a strong girl, but there was only so much she could take. She had managed to keep herself together for Korra while she was taking care of her, but as soon as the other girl left for home the heiress finally embraced the fact she'd been avoiding for Korra's sake.

One day, while her guard was down, the Avatar had worked her way into a very sensitive spot in Asami's heart. Asami was in love.

A bright light in her eye snapped the heiress out of her stupor. The insistent flash signaled her secretary calling. She answered the summons with a finger on the receiving button.

"Yes, Chie."

"Miss Sato, I have a letter here for you." Asami's pulse quickened of its own accord.

"Who is it from?" There was a long pause before she received an answer. The engineer's breath hitched when the intercom crackled back to life.

"It has the presidential seal, miss."

The breath she was holding left her in a rush.

"Thank you, Chie. Do you think you could have it sent to my office? I'm rather busy at the moment."

"Yes, Miss Sato." Her secretary disconnected.

Asami dropped her head onto her desk.

"I'm pathetic."

"You and me both, kid." The familiar voice sent a jolt through the engineer's body. She reacted quickly, her knee jerking up to hit the underside of the desk as she tried to stand up.

"Chief Beifong!" Asami exclaimed, falling back into her chair and gritting her teeth. "I wasn't expecting you." Lin's brow arched.

"Your secretary told you there was a letter for you from President Raiko. You requested it be delivered." She held out an envelope with the presidential seal stamped onto the front. "Here it is."

"Oh. Thanks." The metalbender marched up to Asami's desk and tossed the letter in front of her. The heiress picked it up. "Any idea what it says?"

"I'm just as curious as you are." Lin crossed her arms over her chest. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay and find out what's so important that it had to be delivered by me personally."

"No, not at all. Take a seat if you want," Asami told her. The chief appeared to consider the offer before shaking her head. She remained in the same position as the younger woman pulled out a letter opener and tore her way inside. She read the words carefully to herself.

"President Raiko wants me and my company to consider working alongside Cabbage Corp. on some sort of public roads project." Asami turned the paper over but the back side was blank. "It doesn't go into much detail. The president wants to come visit me sometime this week and discuss the matter in full."

"Other than the matter of presidential security, I don't see why I was asked to take that letter to you." Despite her usual surly attitude, Lin did not seem entirely annoyed with the fact. Asami had experienced enough of the chief's wrath to know when the woman was entirely angry. She genuinely liked the elder Beifong, who in turn seemed to have few qualms with the engineer. Knowing this, Asami had a hunch as to why the chief was sent along with the letter.

"Raiko knew I would be hesitant about helping him." Lin was mildly surprised by this.

"Why's that?" The heiress didn't have to think long about her answer.

"The president refused to come to Korra's aid when she asked him. He suspected that, as her friend, I would remember this fact, and so consider refusing the offer." Indeed, Asami had her own reserves when it came to the project. She did not like the idea of helping a man who was part of the reason why Korra was so stressed at times.

"Raiko decided to send someone familiar with the letter so that I may be easier to sway in his favor. I'm going to assume Mako was his first choice, but he couldn't be contacted at the station for one reason or another. Why is that, Chief?" Asami asked, knowing that Lin would have the answer as Mako's superior. She was admittedly curious as to his whereabouts, considering they hadn't spoken in a while.

"He's currently serving as an all-time bodyguard for the Prince Wu, next in line to the Earth Kingdom throne." Lin said matter-of-factly. The engineer nodded.

"Since the president was already at your front door, he decided to ask the second most convenient- and familiar- person. That's you." Lin appeared impressed, though Asami couldn't be entirely sure. She'd never seen the woman impressed by anything.

"The question is, did it work?"

"Your answer is not really." Asami tossed the envelope in the trash and placed the letter in the top drawer. "I was never going to refuse the offer. My compliance will benefit the people of Republic City and hopefully the spirits as well." There suddenly appeared a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Of course, I'll do everything in my power to get even with Raiko while still accomplishing what he wants me to." Lin studied the younger girl for a moment.

"Honest, intelligent, _and_ ruthless." The chief's mouth twitched upwards, offering the ghost of a smile. "I like you, kid."

"I try." Asami swiveled her chair side to side for a moment, choosing her next words carefully. "Since you're already here, why don't you sit and have tea with me? I've been rather lonely since Korra-" she faltered slightly, "-and everyone else have been busy with their own lives." The chief seemed ready to reject the offer, but Asami continued. "I could use a little more convincing regarding this project. I'm not entirely sure I want to go through with it." The heiress looked Lin in the eye. "It is your job to make sure I go through with it, isn't it, chief?" Asami was expecting a hard stare or at the very least a certain finger in her direction, but instead Lin did something completely unexpected.

She laughed.

It was a short bark, gruff but surprisingly genuine. Hearing it made the engineer smile.

"What the hell. It's my lunch break anyway." The chief let herself fall into the chair Asami had offered earlier. The heiress dialed for her secretary over the intercom.

"Chie, could you have someone send up a pot of tea for two?"

"Of course, Miss Sato."

— -

Republic City was impressive to see in the daytime, but its nightlife was a precious attraction. Every fountain and statue were alight with lanterns placed every night and taken away each morning. Operating buildings remained illuminated throughout the night, but the others were extinguished, allowing for a sizable view of the stars, especially from atop a tall, dark structure. The spirit vines now offered their own subtle iridescence to bathe the surrounding sites in a soft emerald. Spirits themselves traversed freely through the city, a telltale glow indicating their presence as they turned corners.

Asami allowed herself to take in the scenery as she drove slowly through the nearly deserted streets. Most people abandoned their vehicles in the night, but the engineer had a passion for driving, and her home was rather far from the police station, her destination.

When the heiress finally arrived she parked beside the building and stepped out carefully. The station was one of those all-night establishments, but only a few lit windows gave away its operation. Asami made her way up the steps to the entranceway, the click of her heels ringing out against the still night.

The police station was not unfamiliar to her. She'd spent plenty of time there when her father was arrested, being interrogated and filling out paperwork. Lin had been delicate with the engineer, having no reason to suspect her of any wrongdoing, but Asami had snapped once or twice anyway. The incident of her breaking down in the interrogation room came back to her in vivid detail.

Pushing these thoughts aside, the heiress made her way towards Lin's office after asking the desk where exactly that was. When she explained that she was a personal friend of the chief's, the few officers on duty nodded her through.

 _That was easy_ , she thought to herself. Asami had half expected someone to get suspicious enough to at least ask for some identification. The engineer wasn't one for making assumptions, but she guessed that Lin didn't get many visitors during work hours.

As she was making a mental note to ask that the chief consider tighter security, she suddenly found herself only a few feet away from her query. A thick metal door sat before her, with the single word "CHIEF" bended into it. Asami reached out, her knuckles poised to knock. As soon as her wrist tilted back to complete the action, the raven-haired girl's hand froze.

 _This is crazy._

Asami took a deep breath. Her hand drifted to and from the door as she wondered whether or not her sanity was worth the probable episode she was preparing to walk into. Offering Lin tea at her workplace was one thing, but asking to join her for dinner? The woman was unpredictable. Every image of her calling on Lin going horribly wrong sped through her memory like one of Varrick's movers set on fast-forward. Asami reached up with her non-indecisive hand and smacked her forehead with her palm.

"I can do this," she muttered. Her knuckle swung down towards the chief's door. Asami knocked once, twice.

 _Well, I guess she already left. Time to go home._ The heiress turned on her heels and made her way down the hall. The rhythmic click of her retreat almost masked the sound of a door creaking behind her. Almost.

Asami froze in her tracks.

"Asami?" The raven-haired girl turned slowly. Lin was in her office doorway, pulling on her coat. "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine. I- er- I was just leaving." The chief frowned.

"What a coincidence. So was I." Lin came up next to her, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "What's going on?" She asked gently.

"Nothing." Asami sighed. "That's the problem." She looked up into the chief's eyes, a hint of a pout on her face. "I miss everyone else." The older woman bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"…Do you want me to take you to dinner somewhere?" The young heiress pepped up immediately.

"I don't want to be a bother. I have my own money."

"You're already bothering me," Lin reminded her. The younger girl deflated a little, but the chief patted her on the back. "Don't worry about it, kid. I'll buy this time." Her mouth twitched. "But you're buying next time, got it?" For the first time since Korra left, Asami laughed.

"Next time?"

" _If_ there is a next time," Lin answered shortly. The engineer was unfazed by the elder woman's familiar attitude. She smiled.

"You got it, chief."

The pair made their way out of the police station and into the street. They were just about to agree on a destination when a voice rings out from the shadows.

"Lin!" Asami blinked. The voice was very familiar. Lin seemed to think so as well. She tossed her head around, seeking the source.

"Kya?"

"The very same." Said waterbender seemed to materialize out of nowhere, sidling up to the chief and slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Thought I'd give you a warning before I came at you this time." She rubbed her wrist pointedly. "I'm still chafing a little." Asami's jaw nearly dropped when she looked up at Lin. The big, bad chief was _blushing._

"Hi, Kya," the heiress said carefully. The older woman peered over Lin's shoulder, apparently noticing Asami for the first time.

"Oh, Asami, hey! Have you heard anything about Korra yet?" Her query triggered a panic in the engineer's brain.

"No, did you? Is there something wrong? Is Korra okay?" Kya reached over and squeezed Asami's shoulder.

"Hey, relax. Korra's fine. I was just wondering if she wrote to you yet." The younger girl relaxed.

"Sorry. I haven't heard from her yet."

"Asami and I were just about to get dinner," Lin interposed. "I assume you'd like to join us."

"Hm, I don't know," Kya mused, scrunching her brow in faux contemplation. "I did have some important errands to run in the city." The chief gave her an obvious "you're-pulling-my-leg" look. "Of course I'm going to join you! That is, if Asami's okay with that."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" The youngest woman felt her own cheeks grow warm. "The more the merrier. I just… wanted some company, that's all." Kya nodded.

"I understand, kiddo. Being all alone is tough sometimes. It makes you do crazy things, like ask the grumpiest person in Republic City to hang out with you." She ignored Lin's grunt and continued. "You know you can always come visit me and the kids at Air Temple Island, right? Then you only have to be around the second grumpiest person in Republic City." Asami chuckled at Kya's pass at her brother.

"I'd love to come visit sometime. Thank you, Kya."

"Don't mention it." The waterbender elbowed Lin in the ribs. "Now, where did you decide to go, grumpy?"

"Don't call me that," she muttered, pushing Kya gently. "I think we decided on the noodle place down the street from here."

"I have my own ride, so I'll meet you there," Asami decided. The other women agreed and the engineer walked down the street alone, going over what Kya had told her.

 _I really would love to visit,_ she thought as she slid into the driver's seat _, but I don't know if I can._ Asami enjoyed the company of Tenzin and his family, but they all reminded her too much of Korra. _Kya hasn't heard from her, either. Nobody has._ She felt a sharp ache somewhere in her heart. _She could be getting worse._ The heiress hadn't noticed she was crying until she tasted the salt of a tear on her lips. She angrily wiped the liquid away with her sleeve before gripping the clutch.

 _Her parents would have written if something was wrong,_ a new voice in her head chimed in. It was right; for now, the raven-haired woman should keep her focus on her own well-being. There was nothing else she could do for Korra right now.

With this new determination guiding her forward, Asami hit the gas with her heel. The engineer grinned as the Satomobile sped forward, reveling in the feel of the wind whipping her hair as she made her way towards the restaurant.

— -

Lin looked on as Asami's car sped down the dark city street.

"Poor kid," she muttered. The metalbender felt an arm slip through hers.

"She misses her friends, Lin." Kya looked up into her girlfriend's eyes. "She misses Korra."

Lin frowned. "You really set her off when she thought Korra was in trouble. I didn't even think they were that close." She turned to see Kya giving her an incredulous look. "What?" The waterbender shook her head and jumped into the passenger seat of Lin's car.

"I'll tell you about it on the way there."


	2. Chapter 2

_Two Weeks Later_

Warm sunlight leaked in through half-closed blinds as morning breached the horizon. Asami rolled over as the sun's rays kissed her nose, her raven locks spilling out over a silk pillow.

"Five more minutes," she groaned. The daylight ignored her plea and continued to creep in through her large window. The engineer considered sleeping in; she was tired enough to do so, but she had important obligations today. President Raiko was going to pay her a visit.

"What an honor," she muttered sarcastically. Asami kicked her covers off the bed as she sat up. She dwelled in her room for a while, picking through her clothes and making her bed with careful consideration.

In about half an hour Asami was fully dressed and milling about in her father's old office. She had been hesitant about holding business affairs in there but the head secretary, Chie, insisted it was where patrons were most familiar and gave the engineer easy access to the secretary by intercom.

Asami sat down in her father's office chair to face a blank piece of parchment rolled out like an omen on the desk. A fresh vial of ink sat next to a clean pen and inkwell.

"Miss Sato, President Raiko is here to see you."

 _He's early,_ Asami thought to herself. Out loud she told her secretary, "Send him in, Chie." The engineer heard a buzz, and soon after the creak of her office door. She carefully folded the parchment on her desk and slipped it into the top drawer as the president entered her office.

"President Raiko. I wasn't expecting you until this afternoon." She approached him from behind her desk and bowed. The man returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry to bother you so early, Miss Sato, but as you may have deduced from my letter, my calling on you is to discuss a matter of great importance."

"Of course. No need to apologize. How can I help you?" She gestured towards the chair in front of her desk. Raiko took the hint and sat down as the heiress returned to her own seat.

"I'm sure you'll be inclined to agree with me, Miss Sato, when I say that yourself and Varrick are currently the two greatest minds living in Republic City." An expression used by her father after the invention of the Satomobile came to Asami's mind. She smiled despite herself. _I don't mean to toot my own horn, but..._

"I'm honored that you think so, Mister President. However, my father may argue differently." Raiko adjusted his tie in an attempt to mask his discomfort.

"Your father was- and still is- a brilliant man. It's a shame he- unfortunately, due to his current... _position,_ I cannot ask him to assist me with this project. You, on the other hand, are perfectly capable of handling such a task, with your own brilliant mind at the ready." _Tone it down, Raiko_ , the heiress thought to herself. _It's not like you're trying to woo me._ She had a sudden urge to rush him out of her office as quickly as possible.

"I understand you want to renew a public roads project on account of the spirit vines taking root in the city?" Asami decided to cut to the chase. She really wanted him out.

"You would be correct. As explained in my letter," Raiko pointed out, "I would be asking both Sato Industries and Cabbage Corp. to provide funding to complete the project, while you, Miss Sato, would overlook the developmental process." Raiko offered her a practiced smile, one only criminals and politicians could wear. "It would be a great honor to have Hiroshi Sato's daughter constructing our new system of roads."

"Certainly," Asami replied cooly. Her increasing attitude went unnoticed by the president. "I'll have to discuss the matter with the board, but I'm sure an agreement can be arranged regarding funds. I myself would be happy to help the people of Republic City by developing an improved road network."

"This is excellent news, Miss-"

"Call me Asami."

"Asami, then. You will be doing this city a great service."

"Really, President Raiko, it's my pleasure." The engineer wasn't lying through her teeth absolutely. Asami did want to help the people and spirits of Republic City, and doing what she loved best was an ideal catalyst to improve her mood. Perhaps it would even ease her mind of a myriad of suppressed emotions she's been keeping at bay since Korra returned home. The latter hope was utterly hopeless, considering the heiress had readily agreed to work for a man who refused many times to come to the Avatar's aid. There was also the matter of having to work with Varrick...

"What will Varrick be contributing to this project?" Asami asked, realizing he hadn't been mentioned again throughout the discussion despite his "great mind", as Raiko so artfully put it.

"I'm afraid he won't be available to contribute, Miss- Asami." The genuine disappointment in his voice took the engineer by surprise. As if he'd caught wind of her thoughts, he added, "Varrick may be overly-eccentric and even... _unpredictable_ at times, but he certainly has the capabilities to contribute valuable insight and resources on the construction. Alas, Varrick has enlisted into Kuvira's army as her personal engineer." _Kuvira._ The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Asami couldn't place it. Something she heard on the radio? Or maybe from a client? Yes, she was sure she'd heard that name.

"Nevertheless, I have every confidence in you, Asami." Raiko had continued talking, and she internally waved the thoughts away for now.

"Thank you, President Raiko." A pregnant pause settled between them.

"Well, if you haven't any more questions, I really must be headed back to my office." It was the President speaking. Asami sat in meditative silence as he began to stand up. The letter in her desk drawer came suddenly to mind.

"Wait!" Raiko stopped and looked at her, eyebrow raised. Asami collected herself easily.

"I do have a question for you, sir." The man eased himself back into his chair.

"Of course. Ask away." The young heiress remembered her promise to Lin. _I'll do everything in my power to get even._ Korra's laugh rang out from somewhere in her conscience, and Asami resisted the urge to smile.

"Actually, it's more of a request."

"You convinced him to do _what?_ " Asami chuckled at Bolin's incredulous tone. She'd sorely missed the excitable earthbender since he'd been enlisted into Kuvira's army.

 _Kuvira._ The name struck a chord again in her mind. She remembered something about a woman trying to rebuild the Earth Kingdom.

"It was only fair," Asami remarked nonchalantly.

"Well, yeah, but this is Raiko we're talking about! How did you even manage that?"

"It wasn't easy, believe me. He was against it at first, but finally he agreed to let me send a petition around the city to gain approval from the citizens. Most of them were on board, enough to give me the OK to go through with it." The raven-haired woman grinned. "I can only imagine Korra's face when she comes back to the city and sees a giant statue of herself in the middle of the park we've dedicated to her."

"That's too good! Korra's gonna love you for that." Asami blushed at his innocent comment. She was ruefully glad that Bolin wasn't there to see her at the moment.

"I'm glad I called when I did, Asami. This might be the last time I get to talk to you for a while. Kuvira is having us start officially tomorrow morning." Asami heard a loud crash on Bolin's end, but the boy seemed to ignore it. "Actually, I was hoping I would get to talk to you about something."

"Sure, I've got some time before my next appointment. What is it?" Another bang sounded in the background.

"Well, it's just- I noticed that when Korra left you seemed really torn up about it... we all were, but you-" _SMASH!_ "I just feel like, you know-" _CRACK! BANG!_ "-really close." Asami blinked. She was having a hard time keeping up with the conversation with all the background noise.

"Bolin, what's going on over there? Is everything alright?"

"No, it's fine. The only radio we can use for private calls is in the training room, and it's kind of loud, you know." Another crash, then a soft groan. "Anyway, um, I just thought you should know that I've always got your back, no matter what, okay? Korra's too. I love you both."

"I know that, Bo, but I can't really understand-" She stopped when she heard muffled yelling over the other line. It sounded as though the earthbender had covered the receiver with his hand.

"Alright, okay, just gimme one more minute! Yeesh." Bolin returned a moment later. "Sorry, Asami, I have to go. But remember what I said, yeah?"

"Sure." Asami was reluctant to say goodbye to another one of her close friends. "I'll see you later, Bolin."

"See ya." The engineer heard him yell distantly, "Here, take it, for spirits' sakes! Tell your mom I said hi!" Asami couldn't suppress a laugh at this last bit, covering her mouth to muffle the sound as the radio went to static.

The refreshing spray of the ocean calmed Asami's nerves as her motorboat purred across Republic Sea. The quick-moving vehicle split through the water with the same purpose as thoughts of Korra passed through her mind.

Asami was always a fan of the water. Her earliest memories were of her and her parents taking vacations on all kinds of boats, from fishing dinghies to the company steamboat.

The thump of her boat breaching the sand jostled Asami out of her reverie. She had cut the engine as she approached the shore, but did not brace for landing. When she hopped out and checked the bow, Asami noticed that the sand had caked against it, breaking the landfall.

As she was making sure her craft hadn't sustained damage, a figure stepped out from a wooded path and headed towards the boat. Asami recognized the chief immediately and smiled brightly. She was well aware of the woman's mouth twitching, struggling not to mimic the gesture.

"Hey, chief," Asami called, gesturing towards the makeshift stopper crafted from sand. "You do this?"

"I saw you coming in as I was finishing my walk," Lin explained. "You seemed a bit up in the air, and you were getting close to shore fast. I just wanted to make sure you didn't flip your boat so I can avoid cleaning up afterwards." The girl chuckled.

"You don't have to worry about me, Lin. I know every way to emergency stop this thing. But thank you." Lin gave her a nod, and she joined Asami as she followed another path laid in stone towards the air temple. They were quiet for a time as they walked.

"Where's Kya?" Asami finally asked, looking to make small talk.

"Gone." The chief stopped by the temple door and kicked the toe of her boot into the dirt.

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Her mother asked her to come home and help take care of Korra." Asami's heart jumped into her throat. Lin gave her an apologetic look. "I thought maybe she would have told you."

"No, she didn't."

"Oh." The older woman seemed at a loss for words. A few pebbles shifted at her feet.

"It's okay," the engineer assured her. "I'm sure she'll write sometime." Lin nodded absently. Her gaze drifted to Tenzin's home, and the stone fragments buzzed again.

"I guess we're in the same boat then, huh?" Asami didn't understand the question at first, but the light flush at Lin's neck managed to give it away.

"I guess so." Asami kicked a pebble that strayed towards her heel. It rolled out a ways before stopping and gravitating back towards the chief. "Does that always happen when you're nervous?"

"What?" The heiress bent down and plucked a small stone from the earth. It wriggled in protest. Lin scowled.

"I'm not nervous," she grumbled, and the pebbles ceased their movements. Asami rolled the dead weight in her palm.

"I think it's cute." Lin stiffened at the quip, and the younger girl giggled.

"Spirits, you make it way too easy, chief."

"Watch it, kid. I'm still your superior," she said, without conviction.

"Right. Shall you escort me inside then, _officer?_ "

"It's really quiet around here," Asami noted aloud. She and Chief Bei Fong were seated across from each other in the temple's generous kitchen area.

"Tenzin and the rest of the airbenders are out meditating in the garden. They should be back soon." As if on cue, the large tapestry hanging in the doorway was quite literally blown away. A small boy stood in its place, posing dramatically.

"Never fear! Meelo is here!" The young airbender grinned at the two women seated at the table. "Hi, pretty lady. Hi, grumpy lady."

Lin scowled, but the engineer smiled mirthfully. "It's Asami. Hello, Meelo." The boy reacted with an enthusiastic grin. The other residents soon shuffled in, taking their places at the table. Tenzin and Pema came in last, conversing about something. Pema noticed Asami first, and rushed over to give her a hug.

"Oh, we're so glad you came!" she gushed. "How have you been, dear?"

Lunch was a social affair, and Asami made light conversation with her hosts and their new recruits. Afterwards, Tenzin dismissed the other airbenders, leaving only his family and Kai at the other end of the table. They continued to chat amiably until the engineer addressed Tenzin's reason for calling on her.

"You mentioned wanting to discuss some designs with me?" Asami implored. The man glanced at his wife sitting beside him, who nodded. He pressed his fingers together and addressed the raven-haired girl.

"In all honesty, I was hoping you would consider helping me design an invention that may benefit all of us airbenders." He seemed a little embarrassed. "I don't want to pressure you. I know you've been through some tough times lately, and you have a big project of your own right now..."

"I would love to help you with anything you have in mind." The engineer smiled. "It's my pleasure, really."

"Asami's gonna make us some wingsuits! Yay!" Meelo jumped from the table and whizzed around the room, startling the others.

"Wingsuits?" Asami questioned. Tenzin cleared his throat, and Meelo quieted down.

"Yes. They were inspired by- unfortunately, the idea didn't come to us until after- hm." Pema gave her husband an odd look. She picked up where he left off.

"It was Kai who came up with the idea, but not until after he saw Zaheer fly." She watched the young Sato's fingers clench. "Kai's got an innovative mind like you," Pema offered, veering from her mention of Korra's tormentor.

"Yeah, my adoptive dad is an engineer," Kai piped up from across the table. "He taught me a few things, but mostly I tinkered around on my own." Asami relaxed.

"Maybe I can give you a few pointers. Dad and I have been interested lately in simple yet effective flying machines." She winked at the youngest new airbender. "Did you know that Avatar Aang met earthbenders who could fly?"

"No way!"

"Yes way!" Jinora interjected. "I read all about them." Kai looked at her, wide-eyed. Asami chuckled.

"Jinora knows more about Aang's history than I ever will. Maybe you two can spend some time together and learn a few things from each other." She winked at the girl, who flushed slightly. "I'm also interested in chatting with you, Kai. I'd like to know more about how these wingsuits work." The boy grinned at her.

"I'd love to tell you more about them. Dad's a huge fan of your industry, by the way. I can just imagine his face when he finds out the kid he raised got an invention patented by Asami Sato herself!"

\- - -  
She read her letter over twelve times exactly before signing the bottom with an especially careful hand:

 _Love, Asami_

Just as she was dotting her _i_ , Asami heard a knock at her door.

"Miss Sato, the mail's here. Do you need me to bring any letters down?"

"Please tell him I'll be down myself in a minute."

"Yes, ma'am."

Asami took a few deep breaths as she made her way down the stairs to her front door. She gripped the railing to prevent herself from turning around. The letter was pinched between her two fingers in her other hand. It was carefully tucked into a crimson envelope, with the Sato Industries seal stamped onto the front. She was determined to send this letter to Korra, despite the fear of rejection nagging in her gut.

When she finally reached the door, Asami forced a smile and opened it wide to greet her postman. He was an old family friend, a slightly disheveled but kind man named Garvey. Asami remembered riding down the street on Garvey's ostrich-horse assistant, Oakey, as a little girl. The childhood memory eased her mouth into a more natural smile. The man tipped his hat at Asami, and she held up her envelope for him. The engineer read the words over once more in her head.

"Any letters for me today, miss?"

"Yes, I have one."


End file.
